Meet the candidates: Chairman Competitions Commission

Two candidates are standing to take on the role of chairman of the Competitions Commission, a role that has been held by Leopold Kalin from Slovenia for the past four years. Ahead of the election on Thursday, the two candidates Bozidor Djurkovic (SRB) and Ernö Kelecsenyi (SVK) were asked about their plans should they be elected.

Bozidar Djurkovic (SRB)

Question 1: Tell us about yourself, your professional background and experience in handball.

I began to play handball in 1978 for the club Belgrade 'BASK' and then played for HC 'Partizan' from 1982 to 1996, where I was team captain for a long time. He also played in Germany, France, Italy and Greece.

I then became the sports director of Partizan and a year later was appointed to the role of Secretary General of the Yugoslavian Handball Federation. Since 2003 I have been Secretary General of the Serbian Handball Federation and in October 2016 was elected president. 

During my career I have participated in more than 14 European Championships as a delegate and was general manager of the two EHF EUROs in Serbia in 2012 as well as the 2013 Women's World Championship. 

Question 2: What motivated you to stand for this position within the EHF Executive and why do you think you should be elected?

After many years in handball, first as a player later as a secretary general, and more recent as president, I am fully confident that my experience and knowledge can be confirmed on position of President of the Competitions Commission in the EHF.

Question 3. If elected, what will you seek to achieve in your position, as part of the EHF Executive Committee and for handball?

If I am elected to this position, we have to prepare and implement the new playing system at the EURO with 24 teams!

Beside this we have to carefully study what are benefits of current clubs competition and try to find even more attractive solutions for clubs competition, starting from the Champions league. Of course that all my quality will be on disposal to the new elected Executive Committee.

Ernö Kelecsenyi (SVK)

Question 1: Tell us about yourself, your professional background and experience in handball.

If elected, I can bring business leadership experience to the post.  I worked for thirty years in the banking sector holding positions of Deputy-CEO and President of OTP Bank, Slovakia since 2002 with responsibility for 800 employees in 75 branches.  

I have leadership experience in handball at a club, international and federation level. From 1991 to 2016 I was board-member and President of Győri ETO-KC women’s club; winning two of four Champion’s League finals between 2011 and 2016.  I was involved in developing handball at a youth level and established one of Europe’s biggest youth bases with 1100 players across three countries.  

I was board member of the Hungarian Handball Federation (HHF) from 2012 to 2015 and have been Vice President of the Slovak Handball Federation since April 2016 being heavily involved in creating a six-year strategy.  I have experience in international handball diplomacy as a member of the EHF Women’s Handball Board from 2014 and President of the Women’s Forum Club Handball from 2014 to 2016.  Between 2013 and 2014 I helped initiate the Women’s EHF FINAL4 in Budapest while on the board of the HHF.

Question 2: What motivated you to stand for this position within the EHF Executive and why do you think you should be elected?

Involvement in Győri ETO-KC, and as founder/owner of Cambridge International School, Bratislava, demonstrates sport and education play an important part in my life. I have considerable experience and range of approaches gained during three decades in banking.  I have extensive expertise in Hungarian, Slovak and Czech national handball competitions with the challenge of launching a joint Czech-Slovak men’s handball league for 2017. As board member of 2016 Women’s Under 18 World Championship, I acquired considerable experience preparing next year’s Under-17 European Championship.  

I believe in the benefits that teamwork and systematic thinking brings to professional and private life.  Although I live in Slovakia, I worked for twenty-five years for a Hungarian club and have always viewed handball from a pan-European perspective.  As an internationalist, I speak Hungarian, Slovak and English to high level.

Question 3. If elected, what will you seek to achieve in your position, as part of the EHF Executive Committee and for handball?

If elected, I would seek to considerably raise the profile of handball at all levels. I see the role as member of the Executive Committe as an important cog in a well-oiled machine. My experience in education and youth handball will be brought to bear to improve upward progression of talent and opportunities from school to national and international level.

I would create ties with national education authorities and organisations ensuring handball is fully represented.  I would endeavour to introduce additional competitions to celebrate handball at every stage.  I bring a network of sports/business contacts to support and finance European handball, ensuring that our top talent and teams remain within the EHF.